Inspiration
by The Harlequin Pirate
Summary: Visiting her Mother two years after she was abandoned, fifteen year old Sarah meets Jeremy Quinn; the suave blonde actor with mismatched eyes her mother ran away with. Her imagination soon becomes fixated on him. PRE-FILM SXJ


**A/N** I noticed a while back that in the Labyrinth movie, Sarah has photographs of her Mother posing with her new lover tacked on her mirror. The guy is played by Bowie, so he looks exactly like Jareth. I did a little research and found that this guy's actually meant to be an alter-ego of the Goblin King. Now, I found the fact that Jareth's alter-ego's in love with Sarah's mother very _very_ interesting indeed.

Bare in mind this story is pre-film, and revolves around a Labyrinth existing only in Sarah's imagination. I tried to think about the influences affecting Sarah as she constructed her fantasy. I thought Jeremy would be one of the biggest, so I wrote this :)

Please review and tell me what you think!

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Sarah sat in the passenger seat of her Dad's car with her sleeves rolled up and the window rolled down. She smiled into the morning sunlight, and contentedly let the wind play with her hair as the car rolled down the highway. She'd gotten her way, and couldn't be happier.

"So... did you have a good fifteenth yesterday?" asked her father Robert, with eyes fixed on the road.

"Yeah," Sarah said slowly. "Wasn't bad." In truth, her birthday had been awfully boring, but she simply was not in a foul enough mood to say so. She didn't want to be upsetting her dad anyway, especially after he had been so fiercely opposed towards his daughter making this visit in the first place.

Sarah's fingers tightened on the letter in her skirt pocket. Her mother had sent it a week before, and the promises it contained had thrilled Sarah, while turning her father extremely sour. Sandra Williams had written many times to her daughter since she left two years ago, but she had never asked to see her until now. The paper in her hands told Sarah that Sandra and her partner, Jeremy Quinn, were in town for a few weeks over her birthday, and they'd so love to see her.

The moment she recieved it she told her father about the letter, laughing brightly and grinning from ear to ear, only to find he had different views on the matter.

"She _abandoned _you, Sarah!" Robert had told her angrily. "You shouldn't let her back into your life so easily, she'll just walk away again before you can blink!"

"But she hasn't abandoned me!" Sarah had whined back, stung. "She's wrote to me loads of times. _You're _the only one she abandoned!"

_Could have done without that last bit,_ Sarah thought to herself afterwards, as her father slammed down the book he was reading and announced, furious, that under no condition was Sarah going to visit her mother.

But his daughter did not give up easily. After wailing "_It's not fair!" _at the top of her lungs, several days of tantrums, tempers and upsetting outbursts ensued. After which, Sarah got her wish. Permission was granted not by her father but by Irene. She was tired of both Robert's foul mood and Sarah's ongoing tirade, claiming that Toby was not sleeping and was going off his food because the house had reached both the tension and the noise level of a war-zone.

After Sarah had gotten over her initial relief and excitement, the fact that she was only allowed to go because of _Toby _made her particularly resentful. However she quickly accepted it and kept her mouth shut, not wanting to push her luck. And here she was with her dad driving her into the city. It didn't matter how unwilling he was, because he was taking her now anyway.

"Sarah," Robert said, gaining his daughter's attention as she gazed out past the car window. "How long is she - they - staying in New York?"

Sarah drew her eyes to her father. She had a feeling that if Sandra was single, Robert would have had much less of a problem with this mother-daughter reunion. "Mom said they were auditioning for a few shows, so a couple weeks at least. 'Course, if they're picked for a main role they'll be staying untill the play finishes, so about a year." Sarah saw her dad grimace at the possibility, and consquently didn't feel sorry for him at all.

"And why's she left England?" Robert asked, gritting his teeth slightly. "London's West End not living up to her expectations?"

"No," Sarah replied indignantly, returning to stare out of the window. "She's always said it's great, actually. Jeremy's agent just recommended them to a few directors over here, and they got invited to the auditions."

"British, this Jeremy?"

"Yes. He's from London. That's why they live there."

"Does he have any kids?"

"... I don't think so."

"How old is he?"

Sarah rolled her eyes. "I don't have a clue Dad. And don't ask me that, you've seen him before!"

Robert simply huffed and returned his concentration to the road.

He parked up in the inner-city hotel's underground parking lot fifteen minutes later, face set. "You don't have to come with me, Dad," Sarah told him as he followed her out of the car.

"Yes, I do," He told her, and walked her to the elevator. As they wandered through the hotel corridors, he wore an expression that told Sarah her Dad was fighting some difficult, possibly painful internal struggle. "I'm picking you up six o'clock sharp, alright?"

Sarah stopped outside 510, one of the classier rooms, held her breath and knocked. Robert stood behind her with a protective hand on his daughter's shoulder.

After a few moments, the door was swung open. Sandra stood in the threshold, looking absolutely thrilled. She wore jeans and a green blouse, her dark hair cascading to her waist exactly the same way Sarah's did. The two women simply stood for a moment, and then Robert's hand was knocked away as they both clasped each other tightly in their arms.

"Mom!"

Sandra smiled widely and held her daughter tighter. "I've missed you, Sarah", she sighed. Gently disengaging herself from Sarah's arms, she turned to her ex-husband. "Thanks for bringing her, Robert," Sandra said, sincere. "I was worried you wouldn't."

Sarah watched her dad open his mouth to say something, and then close it again, nodding curtly instead. As he turned on his heel and walked away, she wondered why he had bothered to drag himself up here in the first place.

"Come inside Sarah," Her mother said. "I've wanted you to meet Jeremy for ages."

Sarah was steered into the lounge of a particularly high-end hotel suite. A plush rug covered the dark wood floor, upon which a number of expensive pieces of furniture stood. Three high arched windows lined the back wall, looking down on the street below. Jeremy leaned against the sill of the nearest window, a cigarette in his hand. When he saw Sarah he exhaled smoke in an engaging smile, transferring his cigarette to his mouth and offering his hand to Sarah.

"Good to meet you, Love. You Williams girls really are as stunning as they come."

Sarah blushed slightly as she took his pale, long fingered hand, and returned his grin with a shy one of her own. He was tall and slim, with sharp features and blonde hair that fell casually into his eyes. Eyes that, Sarah noticed, were odd colours; one was clear blue, the other light brown. Jeremy caught her curious gaze and winked.

"You know, I really was worried Robert wouldn't let me see you," Sandra said, holding her daughter by the shoulders and looking her up and down before pulling her into another tight hug. "You've grown up _so much_."

"He nearly didn't," Sarah replied, sitting down next to her mother on a gilded leather sofa. "Irene said I should go, she was getting tired of me argu - asking - all the time."

Sandra chuckled. "Still as stubborn as you were before I went away then?"

Her daughter faltered before answering. _Went away _was one way to put it. "Yeah, that's what everybody says."

But Sandra did not miss her expression. "Look, Sarah, I'm sorry. I really am. Jeremy said I shouldn't have left it so long to see you, and he's right. I wanted to invite you over to London, but I knew I'd have a hard chance persuading Robert..."

"No," Sarah interrupted, "He wouldn't have let me go, ever. It's okay. I don't blame you." What she said was true; she held little resentment towards her mother, preferring to direct most of it towards her Father, Irene and Toby.

Sandra beamed, and accepted the drink Jeremy offered her. When Sarah took her glass, he said to her; "And don't let anyone make you think stubbornness is a bad thing." He gave a sly glance at Sandra, who scowled back. "What it means is you never give up easy, unlike some." He retreated to lounge against the window again; far away enough to let the girls hold their own conversation, close enough so he could still involve himself if he wanted to.

"Sarah, I want you to answer me honestly," Sandra said, and Sarah could see the concern behind her eyes. "You've been okay since I left, right?"

"I've been fine."

"Sarah..."

Her daughter sighed, half exasperated. "Yeah, Mom. C'mon, I just missed you, that's all."

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry," Sandra conceded. "But I need to know these things. I mean, Irene, what's she like?"

Sarah struggled. She didn't really want to talk about this. "Irene's... nice. She'll never be another mom, though."

"And you've got a little brother now, too. Did you say his name was Tyler?"

"Toby. He cries a lot. And I have to babysit him a lot." Sarah pulled a face and her mother smiled sympathetically.

"Do you get along with your dad okay?" At this Sarah hesitated, and her mother grimaced. "I knew it. My fault, I'm sorry. I said some awful things before I left. We both said things... But I told him some horrible stuff because I new it would hurt, and I-"

"What's said is said," Jeremy broke his silence. "All you can do afterwards is repair or forget."

"That's my problem, then," Sandra explained. "I haven't done either."

"Well...," Jeremy said, "I would appreciate it if you could forget Robert."

"You need to stop worrying, Mom. All this was years ago," Sarah told her firmly.

"Girl's right - Don't mope around in the past, Sandra. Your daughter's here, now. Stop interrogating her and get to know her," Jeremy said frankly.

"You're right, of course. I'm sorry Sarah."

"Stop saying you're sorry!" Sarah cried. Sandra chuckled and Jeremy smirked.

A telephone in the next room began a shrill ring, and Jeremy left to take it. Before the bedroom door swung shut she heard him say "Awright, Pete?" His london accent shining through. It occured to her that she liked the way he spoke, how he dropped his Hs and Gs, and how he pronounced "here", "He-ah".

"It's good to see you again," Sandra said, inadvertently bringing her daughter back to the present.

Sarah smiled. "Same here, Mom."

"So how was your birthday? Oh, I just remembered! Just you wait, I brought you some stuff from London, I'm sure you'll love them..." And she bustled off into the bedroom where Jeremy was talking, returning seconds later holding a large, glossy bag.

"Mom, really, you didn't have too!"

"Oh, hush. I've got you for one afternoon after two years apart. I'm going to spoil you as much as I like. Now, here. Open this first."

Sarah grinned as she took the box. It was the tissue-filled kind that people use to gift expensive clothes. She lifted the lid and held up a white silk waistcoat, embroidered in swirling patterns with golden thread. "It's beautiful, Mom."

"Thought you'd like it," Sandra said, handing her flat, rectangular parcel. "Promise me you'll wear it, too. I didn't buy it so you could keep it in that box for fear of getting it dirty."

Sarah's next present was a brilliantly illustrated book of foreign fairytales, myths and legends. She also unwrapped a gold jewelry set consisting of a ring and pendant set with black stones, and a photo album full of photos of a younger Sarah and her family. At the opening of the latter, Sarah fought back tears as she wrapped a grateful hug around her mother.

"One left," Sandra said, passing over a cylindrical package. "Jeremy helped pick this one out."

"Your Mum told me all about you and your addiction with fairytales," Jeremy said, reappearing to gaze upon them from the doorway.

It was an intricate little music box, topped with a delicate doll in a glittery white dress. She smiled her thank-you at Jeremy as she didn't trust herself to voice a verbal one, especially with him looking at her so closely.

He nodded and turned to Sandra. "That was Pete, we've got call-backs tommorow for _The Black Fortunes._"

"That's great!"

"They've decided not to cast you in that _Poppy Fields_, though."

"Ah, well. You can't have everything. And anyway, we've got a lot of practising to do before we stand a chance at that audition."

He raised one heavily arched eyebrow. "How so?"

"Don't give me that!" She said, grinning. She told Sarah; "Jeremy's character is some suave, multi-talented noble. There's loads of ballroom scenes, and Jeremy has so far neglected his ballroom _dancing_ skills. Then again, so have I."

Jeremy sighed. "It's not difficult."

"And you would know how, exactly?" Sandra said, springing up and walking over to a nearby cabinet, were a record-player sat. "You've barely ever tried it, you said so."

"If you must know, I was just being modest."

"Ha! Yeah, right. You're never modest. We can start practice now, by the way. I've been looking for an excuse to dance with you for ages, and it's better than just sitting around talking for the whole afternoon. We need to get this done if the audition's tommorrow." She began play a slow record, and promptly held her arms out for Jeremy to take them.

"If you insist," he said, rolling his eyes towards Sarah and crossing the room to Sandra.

Sarah giggled at the both of them; her mother's enthusiasm, and Jeremys haughty reluctance.

"This is the dance at the end of Act 1," Sandra said, as she led some slow steps and rotations. "During the wedding ceremony before Todd dies."

"Yes," Jeremy replied. "I know the damned play."

Sarah watched them, thinking back to the dancing lessons she used to take. She had stopped attending shortly after her Mother left, but the sequence was still familiar to her. It was a basic but graceful one, one of the first she'd learnt.

Much to Jeremy's amusement, her mother stumbled, getting confused over the rythym of the steps. "Ah, stop smirking," Sandra told him huffily. "You're not doing any better."

"No," Jeremy agreed. "But I'm not trying to, either," he added, earning himself a glare.

"I don't know this dance as well as I thought," Sandra conceded. But then something like comprehension washed over her face. "Sarah! I forgot you take lessons! I've seen you dance this before _perfectly_."

"Oh, no - see that was years ago."

"Don't be silly, you were really good! Will you show us?" And she broke apart from Jeremy, so that Sarah could take her place.

Sarah balked. "Er... No, mom I've forgot it... I c-"

But Jeremy was already proffering his arm, with a mischievous glint in his mismatched eyes. "It_ would_ help, Sarah," he said silkily.

Her mind went blank in a moment of stunned panic before she realised she was on her feet, halfway across the room towards her mother and Jeremy. Grimly telling herself to get a grip, as she reached them Sarah thought she might as well do this properly.

Jeremy took her hand, and Sarah said to mother, "You were kinda holding each other wrong... Like this," she said, placing her left hand behind Jeremy's shoulder, and trying not to think about the rising blood pressure in her face as she adjusted his grip on her waist.

Beginning to lead Jeremy through the steps, Sarah found he didn't need it. He was better than he had let on when dancing with Sandra and he soon took over the dance, flawlessly moving through the steps. She felt the last of the heat disappear from her cheeks as she calmed down and let him lead. Jeremy's pace was a little faster than hers, but she kept up easily with his firm hands guiding her. In that moment, the world seemed to run slowly for Sarah, and she was suddenly aware of the intimate details. The texture of Jeremy's dark blue shirt was cool and crisp under her palm, and felt the cotton wrapped around her waist rustle as Jeremy grasped it's creases a little tighter, his long fingers pressing in to the small of her back. She noticed his pale hair falling past his jaw and into those odd, piercing eyes. His thin mouth was curved upwards in the tiniest, yet most intense smile she'd seen.

"Ooh, you two are much better," said Sandra, smiling her daughter on.

"I told you, I was modest," Jeremy reminded her, not looking up from Sarah's face. He hadn't let go of her eyes since he first held her, and Sarah had no intention of looking away herself.

A few moments later it seemed as though Sandra had noticed this, and she abruptly turned off the record player. "Thanks, Sarah, that _was_ a big help. You were always better than me at this sort of thing."

"You're the actress, remember?" Sarah said playfully, finally looking away from Jeremy as he slowly, almost reluctantly let go of her. She felt a little dizzy, and had an idea it wasn't much to do with the movements.

Sandra chuckled as her daughter joined her on the sofa. "Do you still want to be an actress?"

Sarah nodded thoughtfully, trying to take her mind off Jeremy, who she could see gazing out of the window from the corner of her eye. "Yeah, but dad won't pay for me to go to a performing arts school or anything. I'd like to write though. Or go into publishing."

Sandra opened her mouth as if to speak, but was cut off by the telephone. Jeremy swung through to the bedroom after it, appearing slightly irked.

After a strangely annoyed glance in Jeremy's direction, Sandra turned back to her daughter. "That sounds good," she said.

A few moments later, Jeremy put down the phone and entered the lounge, pulling on a brown leather jacket. "I'm meeting Pete," he answered Sandra's inquisitive look. "He's about to have dinner with a couple of producers... What?" He said, responding to Sandra's raised eyebrows. "Never hurts to build connections."

And without a glance in Sarah's direction, he swept from the suite. Sandra blinked suspiciously. "Well, he seemed in a hurry."

Sarah felt relieved and a little disappointed. Certainly, her and Sandra became closer over their last few hours together. They filled each other in thoroughly about their lives over the past two years, but Sarah's thoughts couldn't help but stray towards Jeremy. Sandra told her daughter about her past performances in musicals like _Cats_, and the many dramas she had taken part in. As they ate dinner in the hotel's lavish restaurant, Sarah asked about what Jeremy normally did.

"He's had a few main roles with The Royal Shakespeare Company... played _Macbeth _last summer. He likes those dark musicals as well - he's been in _Sweeney Todd_ more than once."

Back in the suite, Sarah was shown the couple's stage photographs from the past two years, and in admiration of her mother's lifestyle, she talked to Sandra all about her unfair homelife. How she had very little freedom, either because of her Father or Toby.

Robert came to pick Sarah up quite earlier than he previously said, knocking on the door not ten minutes after Jeremy had returned.

Unluckily, it was Jeremy who answered the door. For a few tense moments, neither man spoke. Then Jeremy twisted his head in a mocking bow and invited Robert in.

Sarah heard her mother let out her breath, and she wasted no time getting ready to leave. Her father had only advanced a few steps into the room when he went to stand next to him. "Had a great time, Dad," she told him. Robert forced a smile.

"I hope we'll see you again soon," Sandra said, pulling her daughter into a final hug and cautiously making eye contact with Robert.

As Sarah hugged Jeremy goodbye, Robert's eyes narrowed. She felt Jeremy's arms around her shoulders tighten in response, then looked up into his mismatched eyes.

He winked at her one last time and then she was walking down the hotel corridors at her father's side, with both her mind and imagination ticking away, preoccupied with her newest fantasies.

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A/N. I found out, after I'd pretty much finished this, that Sarah's mum is actually called Linda. At that point the thought of changing every "Sandra" to "Linda" was nothing short of painful. So she's Sandra.

It was fun, very fun, to write Jareth's beginnings. A human, non-Goblin King Jareth Sarah completely falls for. I recommend Jeremy-Jareth. I really do.

Please review, I'd love to know how I've done on this piece :)


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